Container package

ABSTRACT

Packaging device for a cluster of containers including a flat apertured carrier and an endless resilient band. The distance between the centers of the apertures in the carrier is less than the distance between the centers of the containers to be packaged. Both the carrier and band are under tension thereby producing a firm package.

I United States Patent [15] 3,653,504 Saurnsiegle 5] Apr. 4, 1972 [541 CONTAINER PACKAGE 3,330,408 7/1967 Wanderer ..220/1 16 [72] inventor: Robe" W. saumsiegle Needham Mass 3,460,863 8/1969 Scha|ch..- ..206/65 E [73] Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc., Toledo, Ohio Primary Examiner-William T. Dixson, J r. 1 Flled- Attorney-Philip M. Rice and E. J. Holler [21] Appl. No.: 61,984

Related US. Application Data 57] ABSTRACT .3. 3. 3 0 [63] %;8'2122325: an of No 3} 3 Apr 0 Packaging device for a cluster of contamers Including a flat apertured carrier and an endless resilient band. The distance 52 us. Cl ..206/65 E, 53/26, 220/1 16, between the centers of the apertures in the carrier is less than 294/872 the distance between the centers of the containers to be [51] Int. Cl. ..B65d 71/00, B65d 85/62 packaged. Both the carrier and band are under tension [58] Field of Search ....206/65 E, 65 C, 65 B, 56 AB; thereby producing a firm package.

1 1 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Poupitch ..206/65 C Patented April 4, 1972 4 Sheets-Sheet l Patented April 4, 1972 3,653,504

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENTOR.

TTQRRWWS Patented April 4, 1972 3,6537504 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.6

InJVEr-JTQR. RQBEETW SAUMQICGLE BY @w ATTOKDEQS CONTAINER PACKAGE CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 33,333, filed Apr. 30, 1970 now abandoned.

The present invention relates to a pack for holding and carrying a plurality of articles, such as bottles and the like, and a method for assembling the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a package for a cluster of containers having a neck portion therein and to the method for ,forming said package which enables the cluster to be handled e and sold as an individual unit.

resilient carrier which surrounds the neck portions of the containers in the package, the heels therein are urged outwardly from their original parallel arrangement. When a resilient restraining band is stretched over the body portion of the containers, the cantilevered bottles exert a greater force on the band than would be exerted if the carrier were not under tension. The resulting package having both carrier and band under tension has the advantages over the prior art packages of appearing firmer and stronger upon lifting by means of finger apertures in the carrier; of prohibiting the sliding of bottles in the cluster in an axial direction with respect to each other upon lifting thereby obviating the rubbing and scratching of adjacent bottles which resulted in the earlier packages; and of exhibiting greater resistance to rupture when subjected to various shock tests. It is the action of the carrier under tension urging outwardly the heels of the bottles thereby placing the endless retaining band under a greater tension than was exerted on a band in a prior art package that gives the new package greater strength and rigidity.

To this end, in order to impart the rigidity of the bottles to the package, the center-to-center distance between adjacent bottle receiving openings in the carrier device is made slightly less than the nominal diameters of the bottles to be telescoped therein. Thus, the resilient'carrier is placed under tension and this tension in turn forces the shoulder of one bottle against the shoulder of the adjacent bottle causing the contacting heel portions of the adjacent bottles to be urged in an outwardly direction with respect to the cluster of bottles. A resilient endless band is then placed about the body portions of the deflected bottles urging them back into parallel relation, at the same time urging the heels back into contacting relation.

As a result, it is difficult, if not impossible, to cause the bottles to slide in an axial direction one with respect to the other upon lifting by the carrier.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A package and a method of forming said package is provided to hold the walls of a cluster of containers having a neck portion and a body portion in firm contacting relationship. The package includes a carrier having openings therein, the centers of which are spaced apart a distance less than the nominal diameters of the bottles in the cluster. The carrier is placed about the neck portion of the bottles and is under sufficient tension to urge the contacting heels of the bottles in the cluster away from the cluster. A resilient retaining band is placed about the body portion of the bottles in the cluster to urge the heels of said bottles back into contacting relationship.

It is an object of this invention to provide a container package which will securely hold bottles in a firm cluster arrangement, one with respect to another.

An object of this invention is to provide a container package which will retain bottles in a cluster in substantially non-shifting relation to each other.

An object of this invention is to provide a container package which will withstand greater impact forces without rupturing previous packages.

Another object of this invention is to provide a carrier package which exerts contacting pressure against all containers in a package rather than merely to the corner containers.

An object of this invention is to provide a method of forming a package which will securely hold bottles therein in firm cluster arrangement, one with respect to another.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description of the exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a partly exploded schematic view of six clustered bottles, the necks of which correspond generally with the openings of a carrier packaging device wherein the center distance between the apertures of the carrying device is less than the distance between centers of the corresponding clustered bottles when in parallel contacting engagement.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bottles shown in FIG. 1 in a cantilevered position after the application of the carrying device under tension.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the completed package.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the package shown in FIG. 3 illustrating the carrier being stretched.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation view of the package shown in FIG. 3 and illustrating the manner the bottles are disposed relative to each other in the package.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view similar to FIG. 1 showing a modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the package 10 forming the preferred embodiment of the invention, FIGS. 1-5, comprises a cluster of six bottles 20 arranged in two juxtaposed rows of three bottles each.

The bottles in the package cluster are supported together and firmly held in side-by-side engagement with respect to each other by means of a resilient packaging structure of an extremely simple, economical character which is in the form of a flat resilient carrier 30, FIG. 1, and an endless band means 40, FIGS. 3-5.

In its preferred form, the carrier 30 is a flat sheet having a generally rectangular overall shape and is formed of an elastic, stretchable plastic material, such, for example, as polyethylene. This carrier defines six constrictive openings or apertures 32 arranged in two parallel rows of three openings each.

Each of the openings 32 in carrier 30 has a diameter somewhat less than that of the upper ends of the bottles 20 to be assembled so that when the bottles are inserted through the openings, the material adjacent or surrounding each of the openings is stretched and deformed to the shape of the necks of the respective bottles, thereby holding the cluster of bottles together at the top and providing support to the individual bottles.

As previously noted and illustrated in FIG. 1, the center-tocenter distance A between the centers Q of openings 32 of carrier 30 is slightly less than the corresponding center-tocenter distance B between centers P of adjacent abutting bottles 20 within the cluster.

In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 6, the center-tocenter distance C between openings 32' of the center openings of the two rows of three is greater than the center-tocenter distance C" between the openings 32" which are endmost in the two rows of three. However, in each instance, the center-to-center distance C is equal to or less than the corresponding center-to-center distance B between the centers of the abutting bottles and the distance C" is less than the distance B. By this arrangement, the center portion of the carrier is prevented from flexing upwardly an excessive amount when the package is lifted by the finger openings 34, thereby maintaining the optimum appearance of the package.

According to the method practiced by this invention, it is necessary to sufficiently prestretch carrier device 30 to cause centers Q of the carrier to be axially aligned with respective centers P of bottles in the cluster.

After the carrier has been stretched, it is telescoped downwardly over the cluster of bottles to be packaged to cause necks 26 of the bottles to enter and project upwardly through constrictive openings 32 of carrier device 30.

In the present instance, bottles 20 have relatively short necks and are covered with crimped caps 28 of the conventional character used on soft drink bottles. It should be understood, however, that the package device of this invention would be equally suitable for bottles with relatively long neck portions.

Gripping means 34 formed in carrier 30 between constrictive openings 32, as shown in FIG. 1, are spaced apart along the longitudinal centerline of the carriers.

FIG. 2 shows a cluster of bottles 20 prior to the application of an endless band wherein the carrier 30 has been prestretched and then telescoped downwardly over the necks of the bottles in the cluster. The carrier device, now under tension, yieldably holds the shoulders 21 of bottles 20 in side-byside engagement with each other and, at the same time, yieldably urges the heel portions 22 of bottles 20 outwardly from the cluster so that each bottle is cantilevered, one with respect to the other. The somewhat elastic or stretchable quality of the plastic material from which carrier 30 is formed enables the constrictive openings 32 to enlarge sufficiently upon stretching to pass over cap closures 28 or over downwardly facing annular bead 24 shown in FIG. 5, whereupon the carrier portions adjacent the openings snugly embrace the bottle necks 26 below the skirts of closures 28 or the downwardly facing annular bead 24 to provide support for the bottle.

After the carrier device 30 has been engaged to the necks of the bottles thereby tending to urge the heels of the bottles outward from the cluster, the cluster is encompassed by an endless resilient elastic band means 40 which may be of plastic such as low density polyethylene or other suitable material which can be stretched. The combination of carrier and endless band means is shown in FIGS. 35. The band 40 has a peripheral length less than that necessary to encompass the cluster in engagement with the full size portions of the bottles 20. Although the width of the band as shown in FIGS. 3-5 is equal to that of the body portion of bottles 20, it is understood that any width band can be used so long as it is of sufficient strength to urge and maintain the bottles in parallel contacting relationship as hereinafter described.

Band 40, in order to encompass the cluster, must be stretched to a sufficient peripheral length so that it can be telescoped over the shoulders 21 of the bottles 20 in contacting relationship as shown in FIG. 2. The band is then telescoped downwardly over the shoulders 21 of bottles 20 a sufficient distance and released to resiliently urge the heels 22 of bottles 20 into contacting relation as they appeared in FIG. 1, prior to the application of carrier 30. The effect of this is to place both the band 40 and the carrier 30 under tension to hold the bottles 20 in firm parallel side-by-side engagement with each other.

Iclaim:

1. A package for holding and carrying a plurality of containers as a unit, said package comprising:

a. a plurality of abuttingly positioned containers each having a body portion and a neck portion extending upwardly and inwardly therefrom, said containers arranged in parallel side-by-side relationship relative to each other to form a cluster, said neck portion being smaller than said body portion;

b. resilient carrier means telescoped onto the neck portion of said containers having a plurality of constrictive openings for receiving the neck portion of said containers, said openings having a center-to-center spacing less than the center-to-center spacing between abutting corresponding containers tending to urge the bottom portion of said containers outwardly from the cluster; and

c. resilient endless banding means encircling said cluster of containers thereby resiliently urging the bottom portion of said containers into abutting side-by-side relationship;

said carrier means and banding means being in sufficient tension to securely hold the containers in the package.

2. The package as claimed in claim 1, said neck portion having located thereon downwardly facing enlarged abutment means and said carrier means engaging said abutment means.

3. The package as claimed in claim 2 wherein said abutment means comprises a closure engaging the neck of said containers.

4. A package comprising a plurality of containers arranged in ranks and files, each of said containers having a generally cylindrical body portion and a neck portion extending upwardly and inwardly therefrom, each of said neck portions having associated therewith downwardly facing enlarged annular abutment means, a resilient apertured carrier engaging said annular abutment means, the distance between the centers of the apertures of an unengaged carrier being less than the distance between the longitudinal axes of said containers thereby imparting tension in said carrier upon application to said necks, said tension tending to urge the bottoms of said containers out of engagement with adjacent bottoms, and a resilient band encircling the outer periphery of said containers at the body portion thereof retaining said body portions snugly together.

5. In a method for assembling a plurality of containers having a body portion and a neck portion smaller than the body portion with a packaging device, said packaging device comprising generally a fiat resilient apertured carrier device wherein the distance between the centers of the apertures are less than the distance between the centers of abutting clustered containers to be packaged therein, and an endless resilient banding means, the steps of:

a. assembling said containers in a cluster wherein the containers are in parallel, side-by-side relationship to each other so that the neck portions of the containers generally correspond to the apertures in said carrier device;

b. positioning said apertured carrier above the neck portion of the containers in the cluster;

0. stretching said carrier device so that the centers of the apertures therein are substantially aligned with the centers of said containers;

d. telescoping said stretched carrier device onto the neck portion of said containers;

e. releasing said apertured stretched carrier so that the apertures of said carrier firmly grasp the neck portion of the containers in the cluster;

f. stretching an endless resilient band so that its periphery is greater than the periphery of the cluster of containers to be packaged; and

g. telescoping the stretched band onto the body portion of the containers in said cluster; and

h. releasing said stretched band onto the body portion of the containers tending thereby to resiliently hold the bottom portions of the containers in the cluster into parallel sideby-side relationship.

6. In a method for assembling a plurality of containers having a body portion and a neck portion smaller than the body portion with a packaging device, said packaging device comprising generally a flat resilient apertured carrier device wherein the distance between the centers of the apertures are less than the distance between the centers of abutting clustered containers to be packaged thereby, and an endless banding means, the steps of:

a. assembling said containers in a cluster wherein the containers are in parallel, side-by-side relationship to each other generally corresponding to the apertures in said carrier device;

b. stretching an endless resilient banding means so that its periphery is greater than the periphery of the cluster of containers to be packaged;

c. telescoping the stretched band onto the body portion of the containers in said cluster;

d. releasing the stretched band telescoped onto the body portions of the containers to securely hold said containers in parallel side-by-side relationship;

e. positioning a generally flat resilient apertured carrier device above the neck portion of the containers in the cluster, the longitudinal axes of said'containers being generally perpendicular to the plane of said carrier device;

. stretching said carrier device so that the centers of the apertures therein are substantially aligned with the centers of said containers;

. telescoping said stretched carrier device onto the neck portion of said containers; and

. releasing said stretched carrier device onto the neck portion of the containers thereby placing both the endless band and the carrier device of the package under sufficient tension to securely hold the containers in the package.

7. A package for holding and carrying a plurality of containers as a unit, said package comprising:

a plurality of positioned containers each having a body portion and a neck portion extending upwardly and inwardly therefrom;

said neck portion being smaller than said body portion;

said containers arranged in parallel side-by-side abutting relationship relative to each other to form a cluster;

resilient carrier means telescoped onto the neck portion of said containers having a plurality of constrictive openings for receiving the neck portion of said containers;

said openings having a center-to-center spacing less than the center-to-center spacing between abutting corresponding containers tending to urge the bottom portions of said containers outwardly from the cluster;

said containers being arranged in at least two rows of three each;

the central openings of each row of openings of said unengaged carrier having a center-to-center spacing greater than the center-to-center spacing between the openings in the ends of said rows of three; and

elastic endless banding means encircling said cluster of containers thereby resiliently urging the bottom portion of said containers into abutting side-by-side relationship; said carrier means and banding means being in sufficient tension to securely hold the containers in the package.

8. The package as claimed in claim 7, said neck portion having located thereon downwardly facing enlarged abutment means and said carrier means engaging said abutment means.

9. The package as claimed in claim 8 wherein said abutment means comprises a closure engaging the neck of said containers.

10. The combination set forth in claim 9 wherein said central openings of the unengaged carrier have a center-to-center spacing which is equal to the center-to-center spacing between the ends of a pair of containers in side-by-side relation.

11. A package comprising a plurality of containers arranged in rows;

each of said containers having a generally cylindrical body portion and a neck portion extending upwardly and inwardly therefrom;

each of said neck portions having associated therewith downwardly facing enlarged annular abutment means;

an elastic apertured carrier engaging said annular abutment means;

the distance between the centers of the apertures of an unengaged carrier being less than the distance between the longitudinal axes of said containers thereby imparting tension in said carrier upon application to said necks;

said containers being arranged in at least two rows of three each;

the central openings of each row of openings of said unengaged carrier having a center-to-center spacing greater than the center-to-center spacing between the openings in the ends of said rows of three; I said tension tending to urge the bottoms of said containers out of engagement with adjacent bottoms; and a resilient band encircling the outer periphery of said containers at the body portion thereof retaining said body portions snugly together. 

1. A package for holding and carrying a plurality of containers as a unit, said package comprising: a. a plurality of abuttingly positioned containers each having a body portion and a neck portion extending upwardly and inwardly therefrom, said containers arranged in parallel side-by-side relationship relative to each other to form a cluster, said neck portion being smaller than said body portion; b. resilient carrier means telescoped onto the neck portion of said containers having a plurality of constrictive openings for receiving the neck portion of said containers, said openings having a center-to-center spacing less than the center-tocenter spacing between abutting corresponding containers tending to urge the bottom portion of said containers outwardly from the cluster; and c. resilient endless banding means encircling said cluster of containers thereby resiliently urging the bottom portion of said containers into abutting side-by-side relationship; said carrier means and banding means being in sufficient tension to securely hold the containers in the package.
 2. The package as claimed in claim 1, said neck portion having located thereon downwardly facing enlarged abutment means and said carrier means engaging said abutment means.
 3. The package as claimed in claim 2 wherein said abutment means comprises a closure engaging the neck of said containers.
 4. A package comprising a plurality of containers arranged in ranks and files, each of said containers having a generally cylindrical body portion and a neck portion extending upwardly and inwardly therefrom, each of said neck portions having associated therewith downwardly facing enlarged annular abutment means, a resilient apertured carrier engaging said annular abutment means, the distance between the centers of the apertures of an unengaged carrier being less than the distance between the longitudinal axes of said containers thereby imparting tension in said carrier upon application to said necks, said tension tending to urge the bottoms of said containers out of engagement with adjacent bottoms, and a resilient band encircling the outer periphery of said containers at the body portion thereof retaining said body portions snugly together.
 5. In a method for assembling a plurality of containers having a body portion and a neck portion smaller than the body portion with a packaging device, said packaging device comprising generally a flat resilient apertured carrier device wherein the distance between the centers of the apertures are less than the distance between the centers of abutting clustered containers to be packaged therein, and an endless resilient banding means, the steps of: a. assembling said containers in a cluster wherein the containers are in parallel, side-by-side relationship to each other so that the neck portions of the containers generally correspond to the apertures in said carrier device; b. positioning said apertured carrier above the neck portion of the containers in the cluster; c. stretching said carrier device so that the centers of the apertures therein are substantially aligned with the centers of said containers; d. telescoping said stretched carrier device onto the neck portion of said containers; e. releasing said apertured stretched carrier so that the apertures of said carrier firmly grasp the neck portion of the containers in the cluster; f. stretching an endless resilient band so that its periphery is greater thaN the periphery of the cluster of containers to be packaged; and g. telescoping the stretched band onto the body portion of the containers in said cluster; and h. releasing said stretched band onto the body portion of the containers tending thereby to resiliently hold the bottom portions of the containers in the cluster into parallel side-by-side relationship.
 6. In a method for assembling a plurality of containers having a body portion and a neck portion smaller than the body portion with a packaging device, said packaging device comprising generally a flat resilient apertured carrier device wherein the distance between the centers of the apertures are less than the distance between the centers of abutting clustered containers to be packaged thereby, and an endless banding means, the steps of: a. assembling said containers in a cluster wherein the containers are in parallel, side-by-side relationship to each other generally corresponding to the apertures in said carrier device; b. stretching an endless resilient banding means so that its periphery is greater than the periphery of the cluster of containers to be packaged; c. telescoping the stretched band onto the body portion of the containers in said cluster; d. releasing the stretched band telescoped onto the body portions of the containers to securely hold said containers in parallel side-by-side relationship; e. positioning a generally flat resilient apertured carrier device above the neck portion of the containers in the cluster, the longitudinal axes of said containers being generally perpendicular to the plane of said carrier device; f. stretching said carrier device so that the centers of the apertures therein are substantially aligned with the centers of said containers; g. telescoping said stretched carrier device onto the neck portion of said containers; and h. releasing said stretched carrier device onto the neck portion of the containers thereby placing both the endless band and the carrier device of the package under sufficient tension to securely hold the containers in the package.
 7. A package for holding and carrying a plurality of containers as a unit, said package comprising: a plurality of positioned containers each having a body portion and a neck portion extending upwardly and inwardly therefrom; said neck portion being smaller than said body portion; said containers arranged in parallel side-by-side abutting relationship relative to each other to form a cluster; resilient carrier means telescoped onto the neck portion of said containers having a plurality of constrictive openings for receiving the neck portion of said containers; said openings having a center-to-center spacing less than the center-to-center spacing between abutting corresponding containers tending to urge the bottom portions of said containers outwardly from the cluster; said containers being arranged in at least two rows of three each; the central openings of each row of openings of said unengaged carrier having a center-to-center spacing greater than the center-to-center spacing between the openings in the ends of said rows of three; and elastic endless banding means encircling said cluster of containers thereby resiliently urging the bottom portion of said containers into abutting side-by-side relationship; said carrier means and banding means being in sufficient tension to securely hold the containers in the package.
 8. The package as claimed in claim 7, said neck portion having located thereon downwardly facing enlarged abutment means and said carrier means engaging said abutment means.
 9. The package as claimed in claim 8 wherein said abutment means comprises a closure engaging the neck of said containers.
 10. The combination set forth in claim 9 wherein said central openings of the unengaged carrier have a center-to-center spacing which is equal to the center-to-center spacing between the ends of a pair of containers in side-by-side relation.
 11. A package comprising a plurality of containers arranged in rows; each of said containers having a generally cylindrical body portion and a neck portion extending upwardly and inwardly therefrom; each of said neck portions having associated therewith downwardly facing enlarged annular abutment means; an elastic apertured carrier engaging said annular abutment means; the distance between the centers of the apertures of an unengaged carrier being less than the distance between the longitudinal axes of said containers thereby imparting tension in said carrier upon application to said necks; said containers being arranged in at least two rows of three each; the central openings of each row of openings of said unengaged carrier having a center-to-center spacing greater than the center-to-center spacing between the openings in the ends of said rows of three; said tension tending to urge the bottoms of said containers out of engagement with adjacent bottoms; and a resilient band encircling the outer periphery of said containers at the body portion thereof retaining said body portions snugly together. 